4-Day Addis Ababa and Lalibela Tour with Rock-Hewn Churches

• On arrival in Addis Ababa, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Please ensure your flight arrives before 11.30 am so that you can take part in the afternoon city tour.

• At 2 pm, after checking into your hotel, you will be collected for your afternoon city tour.

• Visit the National Museum, which features archaeological collections dating back to Lucy, 3.5 million years old, as well as other primate fossils from earlier periods. The museum also includes archaeological collections from the ancient civilization of Axum and other major sites in northern Ethiopia.

• Head to Merkato, the biggest market in East Africa. Enjoy its bustling outdoor markets, cosy espresso bars, and pastries, along with the burst of music from the cafes and shops. Explore the pungent aromas of spicy cooking, coffee, and frankincense in this unique Ethiopian pastiche.

• In the evening, enjoy a meal at the well-known Habesha restaurant, which serves national food along with traditional dancing and live music. If you want to explore an authentic Ethiopian meal, this is the best restaurant to do it, serving different meat dishes and vegetarian fasting food.

• Take an early morning flight from Addis Ababa to Lalibela, where you will stay for two nights.

• Explore one of the world's greatest historical and religious sites in the Christian world. Lalibela's churches are astounding because most are not carved into the rocks but actually freed entirely from them.

• Spend two afternoons exploring the town churches with your Lalibela tour guide. The Northern Group contains seven churches, a tomb, a chapel, and a sunken chapel. At the center of the group is Bet Medhane Alem, measuring 33.5 meters by 23.5 meters and said to be the largest rock-hewn church in the world.

• In the morning, drive 42 km out of Lalibela to Yemrehana Krestos, the most incredible church outside Lalibela.

• Witness the most stunning sights within the caves of Yemrehana Krestos, with its foundation of olive wood panels and features such as whitewashed marble panel exteriors.

• This morning will be at leisure to walk through the cobbled streets of Lalibela. Alternatively, you may choose to take an optional morning mule ride to Ashetan Maryam Church, which sits atop a 3150-meter-high mountain overlooking Lalibela.

• An afternoon flight takes you back to Addis Ababa.

• End your tour on arrival at Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport in the afternoon. If departing from Ethiopia today, your flight out of Addis Ababa should not be booked to depart before 7.30 pm.

Additional post-tour accommodation is also available in Addis Ababa at an additional cost.